


I Thought About You

by nausicaa82



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Ultimate Spider-Man (Cartoon)
Genre: Alpha Phil Coulson, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Sex, Bonding, Capsicoul - Freeform, F/M, Fix-It, Food, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Marking, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Steve Rogers, Omega Verse, Oral Sex, Parent Death, Soul Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-25
Updated: 2013-06-25
Packaged: 2017-12-03 15:46:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 17,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/699905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nausicaa82/pseuds/nausicaa82
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Philip Coulson as a teenager just knew he was going to bond with Steve Rogers. He even made a plan of how he was going to make it happen, and nothing - Phil's being so much younger, Steve's being MIA, Phil's being stabbed, or even Steve's being obviously not an Omega - is going to send him off course.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Plan

**Author's Note:**

> This is unbeta'd, I welcome people politely pointing out mistakes so I may correct them.

When Philip J Coulson was barely 14 years old, he watched a two-part documentary on PBS about Captain America, part of the nation’s year-long Bicentennial Celebration. The first night, he sat on the lime green shag of his parents’ rumpus room transfixed. He hardly blinked until it ended with Captain Rogers forming the Howling Commandos. As the credits started rolling, he turned around to face his mother on the couch smoking her thin cigarettes and writing on a legal pad.

“Mom, when I grow up, I’m going to bond with Steve Rogers.”

She looked up from her writing. “Don’t you think he’s a little old for you Philip?”

“No,” he deadpanned back.

“Oh, alright, but…” she bit at her lip and then took a slow drag. “Don’t you think Captain Rogers is an Alpha like you? He’s so big and strong, and two Alphas can’t bond.”

“We’ll find a way to make it work, Mom.”

“Philip, Captain Rogers, he…”

Philip cocked his head to the side and widened his eyes, ready to know more about his future mate, the man he feels, no, knows he will bond with. She took the last drag, put it out in the ashtray on the side table, and then sighed.

“He would be very lucky to bond with you, Honey. Now, I think that’s enough TV for tonight. Why don’t you go get ready for bed; you need a bath.” Philip jumped up from the floor and turned the set off. He started thinking on all he would need to do to secure Captain Steve Rogers.

The next day after school, Philip put off playing ball with the other boys and instead headed to the public library. He pulled books about art and jazz. He poured through books about World War II and life during the Depression. He even got Ms. Kay to help him reserve a biography of Steve Rogers that someone else had already checked out that morning. He made lists of songs, paintings, and battles. Before he knew it, his watch showed it was 6:15 pm, and he realized he was going to be late for dinner.

=-=-=

“How was your day, Philip?” his father asked while spearing at his green beans.

“Good, sir. I’ve made a plan, and I know what I’m going to do after high school now.”

“Oh?”

“I’m going into the Marines.”

“Not the Navy like me?” his father knitted his brow.

“No, I’m going into the Marines, and I’m going to become a big strong guy like Steve Rogers so I can take care of him and protect him when we bond.”

His father’s fork stopped half way to his mouth. “I beg pardon?”

“Leo,” his mother interjected while spoon-feeding his baby sister, “we watched that Captain America show last night, and Philip has decided that he and Captain Rogers are a done deal. I’ve already tried telling him that two Alphas can’t bond.”

“But we’re going to make it work, Dad. I’ve already started on research, and decided he would like a military man like himself.”

“Well, the Marines would be great, but I'd like you to go to college for at least two years first."

"I could do that. I could study languages. You know, he's really smart, and I need to be able to keep up with him."

"But Philip, Captain America went down-” his father started, but was cut off by his mother’s soft whine. She shook her head pleadingly, and his father slightly nodded then took another bite of food.

“I think what your father was going to say is that Captain America went down in the history books as a brave and good man. You’ll have to be very good in order to prove yourself for him. He was also a quiet and private man, so you shouldn’t tell anyone else about your plans to bond with him.”

Phil’s eyes bugged out, “You’re right, Mom! Someone might try to take my plan and get him for themselves!”

The rest of the dinner, Philip ate in contemplative silence. He listened but didn’t really pay attention to his father talk about his work and then his mother talk about the rally she was organizing. He instead imagined his future dinners, Philip cooking a meatloaf for his Steve and their talking about their days. A warm feeling washed over him, causing him to puff his chest and smile. After washing the dishes that night, Phil made a mental note to add “learn to cook” to his plan.

=-=-=

A week later, he sat between his parents on the couch. The program had ended, and his father rubbed his back, surprised Philip wasn’t crying or at least more upset.

“Honey, do you understand?” his mother took his hands in hers. “Captain America’s plane went down. Do you understand he died?”

Philip turned towards her, pity in his eyes. “Oh Mom, don’t be so dramatic. He’s just missing. They look for him all the time, it said so in the biography you checked out for me.”

His mother blanched at discovering her son had found the book she had tried to keep away from him the whole week.

“I read it last weekend and put it back with your papers. When he’s found, we’ll bond, and I’ll take care of him extra good, like Dad does for you. I’ll be the best Alpha ever, because he deserves it.”


	2. The Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is unbeta'd, I welcome people politely pointing out mistakes so I may correct them.

Even after a somewhat late and rather awkward puberty, Phil still never really had any interest to be with anyone else besides Steve. In an attempt to calm his parents’ concerns, he went out with a few people in college, but none of them felt right. He thought it almost a comfort when the military and then later his work made relationships difficult. His now widowed mother seemed to understand, stopped asking him about his love life when he turned 35, and started focusing on his musically gifted sister instead.

As Phil neared the end of his 40s, Steve remained a shadow at the back of his mind even when Phil could no longer deny how impossible a relationship with another Alpha would be, especially an Alpha who had been missing for nearly 70 years.  

When he got the call, Phil was sure someone was trying to pull a prank.

“So, you’re telling me SHEILD found Steve Rogers in the Artic and he’s alive?”

“Yes. Coulson, Fury wants you in New Yo—“

“You found Captain America, perfectly preserved, _on my birthday_?” Phil gave a curt laugh. “Listen Hill, I don’t get the joke, and honestly I don’t have time for this. I’m still cleaning up the mess a Norse God made here in New Mexico. I’m not—“

Two loud clicks on the line made him stop his rant, and the new voice made him wince.

“COULSON, get your ass to HQ East ASAP. I know you’re the best man for debriefing the unit on Captain Rogers. You handled Stark and an alien attack, and I don’t know why you need some kind of hand holding for this. GET YOUR ASS ON A PLANE NOW, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”

“Yes, Director. I’ll be there within four hours.”

The line went dead.

=-=-=

Within ten hours of Phil touching down, he had the transition team briefed, the room built, costumes made, and the script written. Agents were all around putting in the place the final touches. Phil watched as they wheeled in the still unconscious man dressed in the outfit Phil had selected.

Phil moved to turn on the faux radio, he had created a special playlist he was sure would be soothing and comforting, when he saw Steve’s part was on the wrong side.

“Christ, it’s like they didn’t even look at the pictures I supplied in the report,” he muttered. Phil pulled out his comb from the breast pocket of his costume, a vintage uniform similar to what an agent in the SSR of his rank would wear. He leaned in over the sleeping man.

Just as Phil finished correcting the mistake, brushing the last strays with his ring finger, he smelled it.  It was faint and not quite right, but it triggered Phil to immediately change the plans.

“All Alphas get out. When he wakes we need only Omegas within a 10 yard radius of the room. Agent Sedaris, you’ll be first contact now.” Phil pointed to the radio as he quickly left the room and then made his way to the closed surveillance on the above floor.

It was another 30 minutes before Rogers slowly blinked himself awake. It was another 30 seconds before he saw through the act and then broke through a wall. Watching the monitors, Phil ripped off his headset and threw it across the room in frustration.

An hour later, Phil sat in Fury’s office with his report, waiting for the debriefing. As the doors opened, the Director started talking before even getting in the room.

“Well, I hope you are pretty pleased with yourself, Agent. Your misstep and last minute switch could have cost us a lot more than it did. Damn it, he could have killed the Omegas. It would have been nothing for him to destroy Agent Sedaris.”

“I know what I smelled, sir.”

“I have eight reports from the other agents present who say different.” Fury throws the files down on his desk.

“Rogers was giving off Omega pheromones,”

“I believe _you believe_ that he was giving off Omega pheromones,” Fury cut in.

“and studies show that when disoriented, Omegas are calmer around other --”

“Did he look calm to you, Coulson?”

“Agent Sedaris selected the wrong playlist. It was the baseball game that--“

“It doesn’t matter now. You’re going back to the Southwest.”

“No. This…this wasn’t my fault. He NEEDS ME here, Director.”

“That’s not your call, and SHIELD needs you in the desert.”

Phil was on the verge of a complete freak out. He was so close to the one thing he wanted most in his life, the one thing he wanted more than anything, and now he was being sent across the country. He felt his pulse quicken as his adrenaline was spiking. He was ready to fight.

“Phil,” Fury’s tone had changed into something softer. “I talked with him. Captain Rogers is an Alpha. I could smell his pheromones in the middle of Time Square. Don’t throw away your career because of a misread. When you desire something so much, your body can play tricks to make it match your heart.”

Phil unclenched the fists he didn’t even realize he was making and closed his eyes, trying to regain the control he was known for.

“You’re right. I’ll head back to the West Coast.”

“Good. We need you on this. It’s important.”

“Sir, may I…” Phil took a deep breath and opened his eyes. “May I take a 24 hour leave to visit my sister while I am here in New York and to… clear my head?”

“Yes, but you better make it 48.”

“Thank you, sir.”


	3. The War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is unbeta'd, I welcome people politely pointing out mistakes so I may correct them.

A few months later, Barton is compromised, the Base implodes, and the Tesseract is taken.  Phil has never had a worse day, but this one was tempered slightly by the new orders Director Fury gave to extract the Black Widow, bring in Iron Man, and then pick up Captain America to rendezvous on the Helicarrier.

It felt amazing his being in New York again; he outfoxed Stark’s AI and then held his own with the man himself. As he stepped back into the elevator with Pepper, he tried to contain his excitement.

"And the cellist?" Pepper asks.

“She moved back to Portland.”

“What? Boo!” The door shut and elevator moved to Pepper’s private floor so she could grab her things.

“No, it’s better. We have most of our parents’ estate settled now, but I just can't bring myself to sell the townhouse. Besides, the symphonies are more to her liking on the West Coast. I’m glad she was able to be out here with Mom during her last months.” The doors opened again, and as Pepper grabbed the last unpacked items, she steered the conversation to lighter things: the tower, an art gallery that just opened downtown, that she thinks Phil has lost a few pounds. Suddenly she stopped and stared right at him.  

“I can smell you Phil, what are you not telling me?”

“I’m going to pick _him_ up after this.” Phil couldn’t take the adoration out of his voice or wipe the smile from his face.

“Damn Phil, if I could make you look like that, make you talk like that, I’d be more than tempted to figure out how to make it work. He’s not going to stand a chance.” She pulled an outfit from her closet and walked across the room.

“Pepper. I wish I didn’t still feel like this, that I could just shake it off. It won’t work; it can’t work. He’s an Alpha.”

She stepped behind a divider, changed, and then emerged in a sleek dress. “But you said he smelled like an Omega to you.”

“That was a fluke. Everybody else swears he’s an Alpha.”

“Just because everybody thinks something is one way, that doesn't make it true. Trust your instincts.” She pointed for him to get the suitcase as she slipped into her shoes and grabbed her carry-on.

They continued their talk as the car took them to LaGaurdia. Finally as she was about to step out, she took his hand and held his gaze.

“Phil, you know how hard it is for me to ask this, but promise me you won’t let my Om—“ she took a breath to steady herself. “Promise me you won’t let Tony do anything too foolish.”

Phil nodded. This wasn’t the first time she had asked this of him, but now he sensed her physical pain at not being able to protect Tony in this way, saw the tears in her eyes.

“As long as I am breathing, Pepper Potts, I will look after your Omega when you cannot.”

“You’re a good man, Phil Coulson. You’ll do great. Text me details; I’ll have my phone on me.” She leaned in to peck his cheek and then left the car.

 =-=-=

Phil had a lifetime to prepare for this meeting, and half way through he wished he could have prepared just a bit more. Steve had smiled when they first shook hands. But once Phil started talking, Steve mainly kept his eyes downcast. The worst part was Phil just kept blathering on, intoxicated as Steve’s scent filled the Quinjet. After they landed and he got to his quarters, Phil knew that texts alone could not properly convey how mortified he was.  

“Pepper, I fucking blew it," he hissed.

“You’re starting to sound more and more like Tony.”

“I used references he didn’t understand. I could actually feel him become embarrassed.”

“I’m sure it’s not that bad.”

“No, it’s worse. I then told him I watched him like a creeper while he was unconscious. He wouldn’t even look in the eye after that.”

“And your previous fluke?”

Phil sighed heavily and closed his eyes. “He still smelled like an Omega to me.”

“Well, then this isn’t a lost cause. Oh!” She squeaked. “Ask him to sign your cards! An Omega loves it when an Alpha shows interest like that, strokes his ego a bit.”

“I think that’s just _your_ Omega.”

“Yours will like it, too. Crap, I’m at my meeting now; I’ve got to go. Just keep trying. Bye, Phil.”

“Bye, Pepper.”

So Phil tried again on the bridge. He asked Steve about the cards, told him how hard it was for Phil to collect them. The blond was still not looking at him but Phil could almost choke on Steve’s scent. He looked around the bridge, full of un-bonded Alphas and Betas and wondered how they couldn’t sense this when it is so strong and so sweet.

=-=-=

Later he was alone and slumped against the wall. As it got harder for him to breathe and his own blood stained his best shirt, he tried to remember Steve’s smell on the bridge, his smile as they touched for the first time, his soft hair under Phil’s fingers. A delightful warmth started radiating from his chest, and Phil then just focused on that feeling as the rest of his body went cold.


	4. The Haze

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is unbeta'd, I welcome people politely pointing out mistakes so I may correct them.

Phil heard a familiar clarinet line and recognized the song* as one of his favorites. But as the verse started, he heard something different: a soft baritone singing along with Mildred Bailey. Phil then saw Steve sitting next to the bed, looking at a StarkPad, and absent-mindedly singing. The bright sunlight from the open window made Steve glow like an angel. Phil’s mind felt sluggish trying to process what he was seeing, but then the image of the spear coming out of his own chest snapped him to attention.

“Steve! Steve, Loki can double. You have to be careful. You have to get…” Phil’s voice was hoarse, and he reached out to grab Steve’s hand. When they touched, Steve gently squeezed back.

“It’s ok, Phil. We got Loki; Thor took him back to Asgard. We won, and you’re safe. This time, I’ve been watching over you.” Steve was back lit preventing Phil from being able to focus on his features.

“I have to keep you safe, Steve. You…” he fought the tug to drift back into sleep. Talking felt exhausting as if Phil was running underwater. “You are my...” he wheezed. Steve then leaned in close to Phil, more intimate than any of their interactions before. His cheek slightly grazed Phil’s jaw.

“I _am_ yours,” he whispered into Phil’s ear. Phil’s glazed eyes tried to stay open, now whole-heartedly fighting the drug-induced haze.

“Yes. Good. Steve, a million times, yes. Lessgo,” he slurred. He attempted to pull out the IV in his arm, but Steve quickly grabbed the offending hand. He gently held it, and then moved in to kiss at the knuckles. Phil was calmed at the touch of Steve’s lips and his eyelids became heavier.

“No, please Phil. We have to stay here. Please don’t, okay? You have to rest and be better. I need you to get well.” Phil then finally closed his eyes and tightened his fingers around Steve’s.

=-=-=

He opened his eyes to a dark room with just the soft pink of sunrise coloring the sky beyond the window. Phil only heard the beeps and white noise of medical equipment around him. A nurse was pressing buttons on the IV stand to his left but then noticed Phil’s being awake.

“Good morning, Mr. Coulson,” she said in a hushed voice. “How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?”

“A little, my back hurts, not too bad though, just a dull ache," he mimicked her soft level.

“It’s good you have your mate here with you to help.”

“My mate?” Phil slightly shook his head in confusion and then saw that Steve was on his other side just like he had been before in Phil’s dream. He was sitting in the chair but now was leaning forward so his head was resting next to Phil’s shoulder on the bed. Phil felt Steve’s slow and even breath on his exposed arm and then looked further down to his hand covering Steve’s on the bed.

“If you would like I could bring you some ice chips.”

Phil nodded, and she turned to leave the room.

“Wait!” he softly called to her before she got to the door. “How long have I been here?”

“You’ve been in the recovery room about three days.”

“And him?”

“He’s been here since you got out of surgery; I’m not sure he’s left the room after the trouble it took for him to get in.”

“Trouble?” Phil tensed his arm.

“Well, your file didn’t show you had a mate. It took your Medical Proxy threatening legal action before the doctors relented.”

“Oh… I, can you please help me order some breakfast for him? I don’t know where my wallet or phone are.”

“I can take care of that for you, Mr. Coulson.”

“Ok, for him: 14 oz steak, six eggs over-easy, four Belgium waffles with cherry preserves and whipped cream,” Phil felt more exhausted from the talking. “plate of hash browns, orange juice, and coffee… a very large coffee. For me: your finest ice chips.”   

She chuckled. “Got it, you just rest and keep the skin contact. It does really help, even if you haven't marked him yet. It’s too bad, bonded pairs heal so much faster. But with love, what can you do?” She shrugged her shoulders and left the room.

Steve nuzzled his head closer and softly whimpered. Phil noticed his back felt less achy, and he made a mental note he needed to buy Pepper flowers or diamonds or maybe a small tropical island.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The song Phil heard was "I Thought About You" as performed by Benny Goodman & His Orchestra.  
> It is also where I got the title for this work.


	5. The Breakfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is unbeta'd, I welcome people politely pointing out mistakes so I may correct them.
> 
> Please note: I updated the rating as Phil's desires are made more explicit.

Although his body was still stiff and achy, Phil’s mind felt refreshed and clearer as the sun steadily rose in the sky. After watching him finish off all the eggs on his plate, Phil was sure he would be happy for the rest of his life if all he did was watch Steve eat. The blond kept thanking Phil and making the most obscene moans with each bite.

“And the cherry jam is so good and tart, Phil. It’s just perfect with these waffles; these are the best waffles I’ve ever had in my life!” Steve continued to quickly eat his meal while Phil just watched. Phil narrowed his eyes as a thought crossed his mind.

“Steve, when was the last time you ate?” Phil’s tone was more firm than he had really intended, but at the same time he felt like he knew the answer and was upset.

Steve wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked up toward the ceiling then around the room. “Uh, well, the nurses were real nice and let me have a popsicle from their icebox yesterday afternoon.”

“No, when was the last time you ate a proper meal?”

“Well, the team had some shawarma right after the battle. Have you had it? It’s like Italian food, but not, it was pretty good.”

“ _It_ was three days ago. Steve, you can’t do that; you’ve got to eat.”

“I know,” Steve sighed. “I just didn’t feel very hungry when you looked so--” Steve was cut off by a group of doctors entering the room.

“Hello, knock-knock! Mr. Coulson, I’m Dr. Anderson. I was the surgeon in charge during your operations; It’s good to see you awake and pretty lucid. We’ve been going over your chart and would like to talk to you a bit, especially given your circumstances. Would it be ok with you if the interns observe? Your case is so unusual; it would be very beneficial to them.”

“Sure, that’s fine. But what was so unusual? I was stabbed; you sewed me back together, right?”

“Well, it’s a bit more complicated than that. In cases we’ve seen before with similar stab wounds, the collapsed lung, the amount of blood loss, and the time from the incident to when we could operate; your current vitals don’t match up. You shouldn’t be able to talk with us, like this. If you take all of these things and add with your being un-bonded and so advanced in age, you really shouldn’t even be alive.”

“Hey! I’m not so advanced in age. I’m middle-aged. I’m the definition of middle-aged.” Phil glared at the doctor and started to feel his cheeks burning.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Coulson. I didn’t mean to imply anything by that. It’s just remarkable, actually. A man half your age in the same situation wouldn’t be as healed as you are now.”

“Ok, just stop talking about my age. What questions do you have for me, Doctor?” Phil’s face was completely red with frustration and embarrassment, his right hand was tensed into a fist. “I don’t have a medical degree; I don’t know why I’m healing like this.”

“Well, honestly we don’t either, Mr. Coulson.” The doctor put on a plastic smile and softened his tone, although to Phil it sounded more condescending. “That’s why we would like to ask you if we could take some samples, run some tests.”

“No! You can’t.” Steve interjected in his most commanding voice. His jaw was squared, and his eyes were set directly on the doctor’s own. Everybody in the room looked over to Steve now.

“I’m sorry, who are you?” Dr. Anderson questioned while flipping the pages of Phil’s chart.

There was a pause as Steve’s resolve faltered slightly, he opened his mouth but then closed it again without saying anything. Then Phil remembered what the nurse had told him that morning.

“Steve is my mate. I trust him. If he says ‘no,’ then I’m sorry, but no.”

“Oh right,” the doctor looked incredulously over the rim of his glasses at the two men. “You’re the Alpha mate of our Alpha patient.”

“As he said, I’m his mate, and he doesn’t want you running any unnecessary tests on him.” Steve then stood from his chair and placed his hand on Phil’s shoulder. Phil looked up at him and could have sworn it was like a war poster come to life. Steve held his head high, his hair shined in the morning sunlight, and his swelling chest was slightly straining the buttons of his plaid shirt.  Taller than anyone else standing, his presence seemed to take over the room.

For the first time since the Helicarrier, Phil could smell Steve’s Omega scent, but this time along with making him feel warm, it made his heart ache with desire. He couldn’t think of anything else but wanting to strip both of them of their clothes, to touch every part of Steve, to take him slowly, to make him moan Phil’s name over and over, to feel his body writhe beneath his own, and then finally to mark him as Phil’s so no one could ever question it again.          

When Dr. Anderson cleared his throat, Phil was genuinely surprised other people were still in the room.

“Well, then there’s nothing left to talk about. We’ll continue to monitor your progress. I’m sure you’ll be ready for a transfer to the rehab wing before too long. Let us know if you need anything. Mr. Coulson.” The doctor nodded at him and then curtly added, “Steve.”

After the last intern left, Steve sat back down in his chair but his eyes were still focusing on the door. His breath was ragged and a bead of sweat trickled down his face.

“Steve, are you ok?” Phil reached out to wipe away the trail of perspiration with his thumb. Steve leaned into the touch pressing his cheek into Phil's palm and closed his eyes. To Phil, it felt electric.  

“They can’t do experiments on you, Phil.”

“I don’t think they wanted—“

“No, Phil. This is a SHIELD hospital, and they wanted to run tests on you-- not to help you, but to unlock something they don’t understand. I won’t let them take one drop of blood, make one cut.”

“It’s ok Steve. I said no. They can’t do anything if I say no.”

“I won’t let them do anything to you.” Steve whispered while slightly shaking his head from side to side.

“I know you won’t, Steve, but right now,” Phil tried to lighten his voice; “I think you need to finish your breakfast.”

Steve opened his eyes and nodded in agreement. He took a bite of the hash browns and moaned again.

“Oh _Phil_ , these are just the _best_ potatoes.”   


	6. The Walk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is unbeta'd, I welcome people politely pointing out mistakes so I may correct them.

For the rest of the morning, a parade of medical staff marched through Phil’s room, evaluating his lung capacity (poor), the range of motion of his left arm (extremely limited), and emotional state (rather good all things considered).

Steve interrogated each one that came in, taking their name and position, asking what they were going to do and for what purpose. It was only after he was satisfied with their answers did he let them proceed to attending to Phil, but he still kept a close watch on everything they did.

“Ok, Mr. Coulson, now for the fun part!” The physical therapist, Kelly, was younger than the others, and Phil thought her perkier than she needed to be.  “We’re going to get you out of that bed and take a walk all the way to the bathroom! Don’t worry, we’re going to go nice and slow, and I’m sure your son…” she looked over to Steve who had been standing on guard at Phil’s side least she try anything funny, “will be able to help so you won’t fall.” Steve’s cheeks slightly colored.  

“He’s not my son. He’s my mate.” Phil replied through clenched teeth.

Her eyes bugged out, and her jaw went slack. “He’s your _mate?_ That’s amazing! I would never have guessed—“

“It _is_ amazing,” Steve cut her off and started to take off Phil’s compression leg cuffs. “Let’s get him up and moving.”

Walking was easier than Phil thought it was going to be, although it was difficult for him to fully stand. Kelly moved his IV stand with him on his left and praised each step he took. Phil held on to Steve on his right, slightly supporting himself with the blond, but when they had walked the ten steps to his en suite, Phil let go.

“Thank you, I can manage from here.”

“Mr. Coulson, you’re doing great, but I’m not sure you’re ready to try by yourself,” Kelly said.

“Are you sure, I can close my eyes and…” Steve replied in a low whisper.

“No, it’s ok. I feel I can do it. I just want to wash my face,” Phil paused. “I’ll be fine. Please?”

Steve gave Phil a once over, as if he was trying to evaluate all the options available. “OK, but I’m going to be right here.” He pointed at the spot right next to the door. “If you need me, you just holler.”

“Please use the railing as you walk; go slow. If you even start to begin to feel shaky, Mr. Coulson, call us.”

When the door closed between them, Phil immediately felt worse not touching Steve’s warm skin, not looking at his beautiful face, not being _with_ him. Now using the wall as a support and nudging his IV beside him, Phil made his way to the sink. When he saw his reflection in the mirror, he hardly recognized himself. His eyes were sunken and red, his hair was sticking every which way, and his skin was ashen. The multiple days’ growth of salt-and-pepper stubble on his jaw made him look 10 years older.

“No wonder she thought Steve was my son,” he muttered to himself as he ran his hand over his cheek. He was surprised to see his Dopp kit on the shelf next to the sink and quickly found his favorite electric razor. After cleaning up his face, combing his hair, and brushing his teeth twice for good measure, he felt almost like a new man. The “almost” part being now his chest was throbbing, the pain in his back more pronounced, and he was utterly exhausted. The 15 total steps back to his bed seemed as far away as Malibu. He felt his legs shake from the effort of keeping him upright. He braced himself on the sink and with shame in his voice, called for Steve.

He was by his side in a flash and seeing his fatigue, insisted he carry Phil back to the bed. Steve scooped him into a bridal carry in a smooth motion, careful not to touch his sensitive spots on back and chest. Phil’s head rested perfectly in the crook of Steve’s neck, and he felt his pain start to fade. Almost despite his tiredness, the carnal urges from earlier that morning resurfaced again. He was so close to Steve’s exposed flesh that it wouldn’t be a strain to lick him, taste him.

Kelly’s chattering on and on about what how impressive it was he had walked so far on his own and how good his form was kept Phil from giving in to his urges. Steve gently put him back in the bed, and as he was repositioning Phil’s oxygen tube, he whispered in his ear, “You look really swell.”

“Thanks, I guess I clean up pretty nice.”   

Steve beamed back at Phil. “I think so.”

As Kelly was leaving the room, Phil’s lunch arrived. The chicken soup, plain potato, and green gelatin did not look worth the effort to get them into his mouth. He waved them off, content to rest and just bask in his delight at Steve’s compliment.

“Come on Phil. You made me eat; now it’s your turn. If you’re too tired, I’ll help.” Steve took the utensils and started cutting the potato into bite-sized pieces. He then looked up from the plate with the sweetest puppy-dog eyes, holding the fork with potato on it towards Phil. “Please? You have to eat and get well. I need you to.”

Phil felt like he was under a spell; something was so familiar about Steve’s plea. Unable to resist, he nodded his head slowly and let Steve feed him his meal. Phil couldn’t take his eyes off of the blond until with the food mostly gone, he let sleep take him under.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in updating. I'm traveling for work right now so I don't have consistent access to the internet. I should be back at home in a week, and it will be better (I've handwritten the next four chapters, so I just got to get the typed to post them). 
> 
> Thank you for your patience and putting up with my bad grammar. 
> 
> I appreciate all the lovely comments and kudos.


	7. The Visitors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is unbeta'd, I welcome people politely pointing out mistakes so I may correct them.

Coming out of sleep but with his eyes still closed, Phil tried to assess his situation by running through the checklist as he had been trained to do years before. His mouth tasted a little garlicky; his hand was resting on something incredibly warm, he couldn’t identify the smell in the room but it made him feel elated, and he heard familiar voices whispering.  

“We aren’t going to wake him just because you feel you need to be someplace else.”

“But, Pep, I do have an appointment to keep and—“

“We’ve only been here three minutes, and when did you ever keep to a schedule?”

“Well, I guess inter-galactic space travel with nuke can really change a man." They both giggled, and Phil finally opened his eyes at the odd exchange.

“I don’t get the joke,” he said hoarsely and moved to try to sit up. Steve was still in his spot and immediately went into action, adjusting the bed, bringing a water bottle to Phil’s lips, and adorably smiling at him. Phil then saw Tony and Pepper sitting on chairs near the end of his bed that hadn’t been there before. Both faces lit up at their seeing him awake.

“Hey, nice of you to join us here, Agent,” Tony said.

“Phil!” Pepper cried out as she moved forward to gently embrace him. When she got close, Phil could finally identify the smell.

“Pepper,” his eyes darting between the two of them, “you bonded?”      

She bit at her lip, smiled, and nodded her head. “Two days ago. After watching him fall back through the portal, thinking I had lost him, when I held him again, it…” she took a breath, “it just happened.”

“And then it just happened again and again.” Tony winked and started gesticulating with his hands. “I have to tell you, bonded sex is better than anything else I’ve ever done, and I’ve done some pretty amazing stuff. One time I was in Mexico when—“

“I don’t think we need the details, Stark,” Steve cut him off.

“Wait,” Phil was slightly shaking his head from side to side, “I think I do need some details.”

“WHAT?” the three of them said in unison.

“No, not about Mexico. Pepper, you said something about a portal. What portal?”

Tony and Steve recounted all that had happened after the attack on the Helicarrier: how they had worked together to fix the damage, figured out where Loki was, fought the Chitauri invasion, and then Tony’s handling of the nuclear bomb headed for New York. When they had got to the end, Pepper was visibly upset and had her arms wrapped around her Omega, nuzzling his neck. Phil himself felt nauseous.

“I’m so sorry, Pepper,” Phil’s chin was starting to quiver.

“Phil?” she turned to look at him.

“I should have been there.”

“Phil, don’t be ridiculous!”

“I didn’t uphold my promise to you. Please forgive me.” Two slow tears ran down his face.

“They must be giving you _really_ good stuff; huh, Coulson? I’ve never seen you so emotional before.” Tony quipped.  

“Phil. No, don’t think like that. You did the best you could, and you upheld your promise,” Pepper replied.

“But I—“

“Phil,” her voice was soft but steady now, “you weren’t breathing when Tony went through the portal. You didn’t break your promise.”

The room was silent for a few moments, and then Pepper squared her shoulders.

“But you are breathing now, so I intend to hold you to it.” She smiled and patted Phil on the leg.

“What promise are you talking about? Something about me? Is it that Phil would save me from Fury’s bullshit after I repeatedly save the world?” Tony looked hopefully at Pepper. She quickly stole a glance at Steve and then kissed the brunet’s temple.

“I’ll tell you a later.”

The four of them continued to talk about what was happening in the city and the renovations already started at Stark Tower.

“We’re designing a floor for each Avenger.” Pepper pulled a StarkPad from her bag and showed Phil the 3D model blueprints. He saw the floors designated with a symbol, and a flash of jealousy crossed his face for just a second when he saw the Captain’s shield on one of floors. Even if Tony and Pepper were bonded, it irked him that that they were going to give such a nice home to Steve.

“Do you approve, Phil?” Pepper asked. Before he could answer, there was a knock at the door. Phil began to bemoan about how he couldn’t have a moment’s rest without a doctor or nurse needing something from him, when Maria Hill and Jasper Sitwell walked in.

“Afternoon, all. Coulson, you are looking better than I had been lead to believe. You should be back at work already; there are report to file.” Sitwell beamed at his friend. He placed a potted plant with red and white bow on Phil’s rolling table.

“Sorry to interrupt your little party, but I have urgent matters to speak with Agent Coulson about,” Hill announced to the room, something slightly off in her tone. When no one moved she clarified. “Alone. None of you have high enough clearance.”

“Actually, we should be headed out anyway, I need to talk to the doctor, and then Tony does have an appointment. Phil, it was great to see you, we’ll be back tomorrow. Oh, Steve, I have something for you." Pepper took Tony’s hand, grabbed her bag, and started heading to the door.

“Then maybe you could show me where I could get a cup of coffee on this floor?” Sitwell made a motion for the hallway, but Steve hesitated, looking at Phil.

“It’s fine Steve, I can survive five minutes without you.” Phil tried to give a reassuring smile, but realized he wasn’t sure he believed the line himself. “But only for five minutes, ok?” At that, Steve chuckled and squeezed Phil’s hand that he always seemed to be holding.

As Phil watched the bonded pair, Sitwell, and finally Steve leave the room; the usual dull ache of his torso was replaced with a sharp piercing sensation. He felt uncomfortably warmer and his heartbeat quicken with the pain.


	8. The Threat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is unbeta'd, I welcome people politely pointing out mistakes so I may correct them.

“You can’t do this, Coulson,” Maria warned. She didn’t sit in any of the empty chairs but stood over Phil’s bed. Her arms were crossed across her chest, and she was giving one of her lethal stares.

“To what are you referring? If you haven’t noticed, I can’t do much of anything at the moment. I’m convalescing.”

“You have to stop. I heard about the incident this morning with Dr. Anderson and that he’s been staying here with you. What lies did you tell him? What exactly did you say?”

“To Dr. Anderson?”

“To Captain Rogers, Coulson." Her frustration clear. "Did you tell him this sort of arrangement could work now? That the future had figured out how two Alphas could be together? That this was normal? “

“I didn’t say anything. I woke up, and he was here, and I—“ Phil was feeling worse with each passing moment.

“You declared you were mates before three people. You can’t just say things like that. Rogers probably doesn't even realize you don't have to have a ceremony anymore. It means something, there are legal ramifications.“

“I’m not after his money,” he quickly said.

“Well that’s good as you wouldn’t have any claim on it since he is an Alpha, Coulson. What you have done, what you’re doing is dangerous. You know what happened last time you treated him like an Omega.”

“You talk like he’s Dr. Banner.”

“It’s more than just that. I know you probably love playing out your fantasies, but it’s disgusting.”

Phil’s breaths became shallower, his anger amplifying. “Look at me, Hill. This..." he gestured to the bandages around his chest, "was never my fantasy. This has only ruined every plan I ever made. I woke up, he was here, I didn’t want to be alone in the hospital, so I said he was my mate so he could stay. I’m not forcing him to do anything. He’s Steve Rogers; if this wasn’t working, he’d leave.”

“This is working because he sees you as a hurt Omega.”

Phil took a sharp breath in. The words hurt him more than any punch or bullet he had ever taken. His mind raced trying to find evidence of her being wrong, but all he could think of was the day’s activities: Steve’s carrying Phil from the bathroom, feeding him his lunch, holding the water bottle so he could drink. Not knowing what to say in response, he looked down at his hand that just minutes ago was being held by the most amazing man Phil had ever met. Hot angry tears caused his vision to start to blur.

“Fury wants me to bring him back to HQ before this gets any more out of control.”

Phil jerked his head up to stare her down. “If you so much as lay a single finger on him, I’ll—“

“You’ll what? As you said, you're convalescing. You can’t lift your left arm, let alone stand on your own.” She moved in closer over him. “But let’s say you’re right, and Rogers _was_ an Omega. Do you realize how easy it would be for someone else to claim him? Do you really think of all the Alphas he is around that he would choose you?”

“Get out,” Phil growled.    

“Look at yourself, even healthy, could you dominate him in a way that would satisfy his needs?”

“Agent Hill,” Steve said in not a loud but nonetheless commanding tone from the doorway. She spun around in surprise to see him there with a duffel bag over his shoulders. “Visiting hours are now over, you need to leave.” Steve stepped into the room making way for her to exit.

“Captain Rogers, Director Fury would like me to escort you back to—“

“Ms. Potts was kind enough to bring me a change of clothes and extra supplies for my stay with Phil…” he patted the bag in his possession, “so Fury’s concern is appreciated but completely not necessary.”

“Captain Rogers—“

“Thank you, Agent Hill, but you need to leave.” Steve moved over to his chair and like that morning remained standing, gently resting his hand on Phil’s shoulder.  

Again Steve’s touch and intoxicating smell washed over Phil, and he was without doubt that it was as good as, no, better than the timed morphine drop in his IV. His muscles lost their tension, his vision cleared, and he didn’t care anymore if she stayed or left, just as long as Steve would keep touching him. Hill scrunched her face at the scene and turned away to leave. Before she stepped through the door, she spoke without looking back.

“Remember what I said Coulson. You know I am right, and this won’t end well.”

Phil saw Steve deflate and his brow knit in worry.

“How much did you hear?” Phil whispered, afraid of whatever Steve would reply.

“Enough.” Steve looked into Phil’s eyes for a second before casting his down at where he was touching the smaller man. Steve’s hand was slightly trembling, so Phil reached up to place his own over it. 

“Steve, I think we should talk.” 

The blond bit his bottom lip and nodded in agreement. His eyes then shifted to the plant that Sitwell had brought. He cocked his head to one side and then turned over one of the larger leaves, pulling off what looked like a small metal button. He crushed the bug easily between his finger and thumb.

"You would think they'd be smarter than _planting_ a wire on a _plant_ ," Phil sighed. 

“Actually, I think the nurses deserve something nice since I was so gruff with them this morning.” Steve quickly took the greenery out of the room. When he returned, he shut the door and turned the lock. He stood at the foot of Phil’s bed, hands clasped in front of him, eyes still downcast.

“I asked them to give us some time without interruptions...” he swallowed, “we’ve have enough interruptions today.”


	9. The Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is unbeta'd, I welcome people politely pointing out mistakes so I may correct them.

The two men didn’t say anything for a while. Steve would look at Phil for a moment then focus on something else, but Phil couldn’t take his gaze away from the blond. Finally Phil broke the silence.

“Steve?” Phil’s voice was thinner than usual. “Why am I the only one it seems to be able to,” he trailed off and then reset his question. “Why does everybody else think you’re an Alpha?”

“You don’t think I’m an Alpha?”

“No. I know you’re an Omega.” Phil held Steve’s gaze. The solider sighed and bit at his lip.

“The serum, it altered me. Erskine hadn’t had success when trying it on Alphas, makes them too aggressive and changes their body composition too much. Besides, what the Army really wanted was a soldier who would still take commands and not abuse the power it gave. So he decided to try it on an Omega, but needed to counter the chance of a human weapon being submissive to… to…”

“The wrong people?” Phil offered.

“Yeah, so he tweaked the formula to make me seem less like an Omega.”

“So Alpha advantage doesn’t work on you?”

“I don’t know, before the serum… I was so weak and ill. Well, Alphas didn’t look twice at me before, and after, they stopped looking completely when they thought I was an Alpha, too. I’ve never had a heat; no one has ever tried to… and I never really wanted anyone to until--”

Phil heard Hill’s words mocking him in his head, drowning out what Steve was saying. He panicked, thinking that he would now lose Steve to another Alpha. He loved Steve’s being there with him, even if their being mates was just a ruse.

“Steve, do you _want_ to be here?”

“Yes, I want to be wherever my mate is.”

“You don’t have to say that. No one is around.” Phil’s tone, still thinking about Hill, had been too harsh, and he immediately regretted it. 

“Oh.” Steve’s hands braced the edge of the bed, and he choked out, “you don’t really want me as your mate.” His breathing became more labored as if he was having a panic attack.

“NO! No, you’re wrong. I mean… fuck! You misunderstand. I’ve… I’ve wanted you as my mate since I was 14. I still do. I just… this whole… damn it, this is not how I planned it to go. You’re the most wonderful person in the world Steve, and you deserve something better than just going along with an Alpha who blurts out to a group of strangers that you are mates. I had this plan: I was going to show that I could take care of you, and then we were going to talk about it, have a private moment when we would pledge to each other.” Steve looked up, his face wet and red.

“But all of that happened,” Steve replied.

“What?”

“You told me you watched over me when I was unconscious. You told me I still had a place here in the 21st century. The suit you designed, the cards, going up against Loki: I have never doubted that you could take care of me.

“And thinking you had died, I..." Steve shifted his weight between his feet, and instead of finishing his thought, he smiled. "But then after Thor took Loki, Tony told me to meet Ms. Potts here, and she showed me the files he had taken from SHIELD, your files.  I saw the plan you had made to make me feel less scared. I saw the video…”

“Video?”

“I saw you fix my hair, and I realized the warmth I felt when waking must have been from your touch because I didn't feel it again until we were on the Quinjet.”

“But I embarrassed you on the Quinjet. You wouldn’t even look at me after that.”

“I could tell you were a really smart guy and thought you wouldn’t want someone so ignorant.” Steve’s cheeks somehow became even redder. “You smelled so good, and I was trying to show you that I could be submissive, that I _wanted_ to be submissive to you.

“I was so happy when Ms. Potts brought me up from the lobby to see you after you got out of the operating room. I wanted that warm feeling again. She was in the hall talking with the surgeons, and I sat next to you, listening to the playlist you had made. You woke up singing and then warned me about Loki. Then we…”

“I thought that had been a dream.”

“It felt like a dream.”

“I sang?” Phil asked, slightly mortified.

“Yes,” Steve chuckled and sniffed, “and very well for someone just out of surgery, so I sang with you.”

“So… you’re my mate, for real, just as I had planned.” Phil spoke slowly, trying to let the words sink in.

“Yes, I’m yours.”

“And you want to stay with me?”

“Very much so, I feel good when I touch you," Steve's voice was breathy. "I feel great when you touch me.”  

“Steve?”

“Yes?”

“Come here beside me, I want to make you feel phenomenal.”


	10. The Mark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is unbeta'd, I welcome people politely pointing out mistakes so I may correct them. 
> 
> !Also, please note I've upped the rating to E.

One day when he was a freshman in high school, they separated the Alphas, Betas, and Omegas out to watch health film strips. Coach Winchester supervised the Alphas sitting on the bleachers in the gym as they learned about their ‘changing bodies,’ the mechanics of mating, heats, and their responsibilities to respect and protect Omegas. Near the end of the assembly, the coach had asked for questions, and Phil had been the only one brave enough to raise his hand.

“Coach, what should you do when you can’t physically dominate your mate?”

Phil heard snickers and whispers from the students sitting around him. Coach Winchester just tilted his head like Phil had asked the question in Latin, then looking the boy over a few times, his expression softened into understanding.

“Son, you don’t have to worry about that! An Omega will not be with an Alpha who can’t dominate them. This is about 95% instinct. You’ll know what to do when the time comes. Besides, Omegas are small; even you will find one that you can manhandle.”

“But see, I’ve already—“ Phil started to reply, but then the bell rang. All those of the assembly got up to leave, and the varsity basketball team streamed in to start their practice.

=-=-=

The memory flashed through Phil’s mind as he watched the tall and muscle-bound Steve wipe his face and walk towards the side of the bed. Phil had figured out what he could and part of his grand plan was about what he would do once he got to this moment, but he had never had a contingency for a lame arm and needing supplemental oxygen.

Once Steve got close, Phil could sense how anxious the other man still was and saw a few tears remaining from the misunderstanding. And in that moment, Coach Winchester was right: Phil’s instinct kicked in; he knew what he needed to do.

“Steve, I need to touch you, please. Will you take off your shirt and pants for me?” Steve nodded as he started slowly unbuttoning his shirt and toeing off his shoes. It took some considerable effort, but Phil arranged both of them on to the small bed, lying on their sides, facing each other. With their hips aligned, Steve’s feet dangled off the edge but his head was slightly below Phil’s. Only a dim light from behind the bed and the moonlight from the window illuminated their features.

It should have been uncomfortable or at least awkward, but instead, Phil felt nothing but contentment and could sense Steve’s anxiety melting away. He knew he could comfort an Omega, _his Omega_ , without even being on top of him. He lightly traced his right hand up Steve’s chest and then caressed his cheek.

“You are so beautiful,” his voice low, “I’ve wanted you for such a long time, but it wasn’t until I met you that I realized just how much I loved you.”

“I love you, too, Phil,” Steve whispered back.

Phil gently tipped Steve’s chin up and leaned in to kiss him. He had every intention of keeping their first kiss chaste, but after feeling the plump lips below him part, Phil deepened it more. Steve closed his eyes and held on to Phil’s hip like he would fall if he let go, pressing closer to him. Phil felt the other’s already hard cock against his own; the thin fabric of boxer shorts and sleep pants, respectively, the only things between them. Amazed, he wondered if Steve would be wet this quickly, too. Without thinking he tried to reach around to Steve’s cleft with his free arm. The immediate pain in Phil’s chest from the movement caused him to seize up and break their kiss. He tried not to wince, but Steve had already seen.

“Are you ok? Should I call for one of the nurses?”

“No. I’m fine.” He pulled Steve by his head into a more aggressive kiss to keep him from asking anything more and rocked his hips so he was sliding his now hardening dick along Steve’s. When he finally loosened his grip so Steve could pull back, he saw that he was breathing heavily and his ice-blue pupils were dilated.  

Phil was clouded by Alpha instinct and shifted to lie on top of his mate; however, the pain in his chest once again reminded him of his current physical condition despite his arousal. Instead, he fell back into the position he was in before, breathing heavily and unable to stop gazing into Steve’s eyes. They were silent for a few moments before Phil apologetically smiled.

“The spirit is willing, actually more on the side of insistent, but the flesh…” he trailed off, not wanting to admit his frailty, unable to say the word “weak.”

Steve moved his hand off Phil’s hip and gently placed it over the bandages on Phil’s chest. It was the lightest pressure, shocking from someone so strong, but comforting nonetheless.

“Phil, I...” Steve bit at his bottom lip. “I wasn’t expecting… _that_. Well, I mean, eventually, yes… but not while you are still recovering.”

“I was,” Phil deadpanned, looking Steve square in the eye until both of them broke and started chuckling. Feeling calmer, Phil removed his oxygen and resumed kissing Steve along his jaw and all over his neck. Steve tried to kiss back, but Phil held his head by his hair to keep his long pale neck exposed. He even, as a tease, licked a stripe along the side all the way to behind Steve’s ear.

“Phil…” Steve moaned.

“Maybe I would be satisfied just to keep kissing you instead, over every part of you...” Phil tongued the shell of his ear. “I want to taste every inch of what is mine.”

“Phil, please...” Steve’s voice was so desperate that Phil let go of his grip and started nodding his head immediately.

“Yes, baby, what is it you want? Tell me.”

“Mark me.” Steve’s eyes were so large, pleading, as if he was sure Phil would say no. Phil’s stomach clenched as he realized he wouldn't be able to get on top of Steve to do it properly.

“I want that, too, but I can’t support mys—“ Steve stole a kiss this time, and coyly smiled.

“Will you let me?”

Phil wasn’t exactly sure what Steve was asking permission for, but the way he looked up through his lashes had Phil hypnotized and nodding his head in agreement. He continued to nod as Steve repositioned the bed and pillows so Phil was sitting in an upright position. He still was not sure what was happening until Steve straddled his legs facing him and leaned forward to kiss at the skin above Phil’s waistband.

“Oh, Steve…” Phil could barely articulate as his pants slid down to his knees with Steve's quick movement. Steve’s torso was arched against his thighs instantly and his ass was high in the air. Phil swallowed when he saw the dark wet spot spreading on the back of the red boxer shorts. Steve supported himself on his elbows, his face nuzzling Phil’s crotch.

“Please mark me as yours, Alpha,” Steve asked again, taking hold of Phil’s dick and softly rubbing it against his cheek. When he looked down at Steve licking at his base and up to the head, leaving behind enough drool that Steve’s breath was starting to tickle on his skin, Phil didn’t know how he could even begin to think of saying ‘no’ to the request.

“Yes, Omega,” his voice deeper than usual, “I will mark you.” Phil supported Steve’s neck, holding him at the base of his head and guiding him to take Phil into his mouth. He could feel his Alpha advantage work as he would make just a slight movement with his hand and Steve would follow.

He set an easy rhythm because he didn’t want to finish too soon and was already overstimulated. He was unable to look away from the amazing image of Steve sliding up and down his dick. Steve felt like an oven, his mouth was so warm and his skin was becoming warmer beneath his fingers. Then Phil thought of how slick and hot it would be to fuck Steve properly and without thought, picked up the pace. Steve looked up at him, his eyes looked so desperate and slightly wet.

“I am going to be so good to you not only because you deserve it, but because I always take care of what belongs to me.” Phil felt Steve moan at the promise and then change the pressure of his tongue on the underside of Phil's cock. Phil grabbed Steve’s hair and pulled him back just before his orgasm hit. He released on the Omega’s chest, and then guided him up so they would be face-to-face. Steve was now straddling Phil’s lap but still supporting his weight on his own legs.

Phil moved his hand down to rub his come into Steve’s skin, kissed his mouth again, and then licked the thin line of come that had hit the blond’s neck. He kissed Steve's jaw then continued down to the spot right above his collar bone.

“Mine” he growled then bit hard, his jaw locking down and both his hands holding Steve firmly in place. Steve cried out at the initial shock of it, his hands squeezed Phil's biceps, and then he let out a long moan while his body began to spasm. Once Steve was still, Phil released his bite and gently licked at the broken skin and bruise forming.

Steve was already fluttering his eyes, fighting his Omega post-climax instinct to sleep and be still. Phil, on the other hand, had not felt so energetic and strong in years thanks to the adrenaline boost his body was releasing-- an evolutionary hold over to aid in fighting off other Alphas who would attempt a challenge while his Omega was so vulnerable.

Phil laid a quickly fading Steve back to his original position on his side, admiring how exquisitely debauched he looked with shiny swollen lips, his boxers stained with wet spots, and Phil’s marks on his chest and neck.

Phil then swung his legs over the side of the bed, readjusted his sleep pants, and tentatively tested putting his weight on each foot. When he stood, he was amazed at how much easier it was than just that morning although still not perfect. He cautiously made his way to the bathroom and moistened a washcloth. Pulling his IV with him, Phil went back to the far side of the bed and searched the duffel bag for something clean Steve could sleep in. Along with a pair of gray plaid sleep pants very similar to his own, he found a small envelope addressed to him.

Placing them aside, he washed Steve’s face and chest, enjoying the soft moans coming from his Omega. When he moved to take Steve’s boxers off, the blond half-opened his eyes to look at him. He lifted his hips up and smiled. However, when the now cooling washcloth ran over his pelvis, Steve snapped out of his sleepy bliss.

“Phil, you can’t be up on your own like that! You have to get back into bed right now.” He moved to sit up, panic in his eyes.

“Shhh, I’m fine.” Phil, without any pain, placed his weaker hand onto Steve’s waist to still him and worked the cloth over his inner thighs towards his backside.

“You’re still hurt; you just aren’t feeling the pain right now. You can pop a stitch or—“

“Shh, baby. It’s ok. I’m sure they glued me together, not just stitched. I’m being careful and coming back into the bed now. Just stay as you are.” He slipped the pants on Steve with such efficiency and grace he was sure he should be awarded some kind of merit badge.

Making his way around, he unlocked the door and threw the used washcloth into the sink. He settled into the bed, and pulled the thin blanket over them. Phil put his right arm under Steve’s neck and pulled him in close. Steve readjusted to wrap his arms and legs carefully around Phil, using the smaller man’s right shoulder as a pillow.

“Now you can’t get up without my knowing,” Steve mumbled, falling back into his sleep.

“Ok, I won’t do it again; I promise. I love you, Steve.” Phil kissed his forehead.

“I love you, Phil.”

After a good half hour of watching Steve sleep, kissing him, and stroking his hair, Phil reached for the envelope he had found earlier. Opening it, he recognized Pepper’s personal insignia at the top of the flat card. In her beautiful script, she had written just one line:

_As long as I am breathing, Phil Coulson, I will look after your Omega when you cannot._

He placed the note back on the table and kissed Steve once more. He then closed his eyes, finally feeling calm enough to sleep himself.


	11. The Gauze

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is unbeta'd, I welcome people politely pointing out mistakes so I may correct them.

Phil was rather alert when an unusual pressure at the tip of his finger woke him at dawn. His eyes focused immediately in the dim light, and he recognized the nurse from the previous morning securing an oxygen monitor on his index finger.

“Good morning, Mr. Coulson,” she said in a hushed voice. “How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?”

“I’m feeling pretty good actually.”

“It’s good you have your mate here with you to help.”

“My mate...” Phil felt déjà vu and squeezed Steve’s arm, verifying that the man was actually there in the bed with him. Steve nuzzled into Phil’s chest but didn’t wake up. He couldn’t identify it, but something was off.    

“If you would like I could bring you some food.”

Phil shook his head ‘no,’ and she turned to leave.

“Wait!” he called to her before she got to the door. “What is your name?”

“You may call me Erin.”

“Thank you, Erin. Uh, our talk yesterday really helped me out. I appreciate what you’ve done for me.”

“He must love you very much, Mr. Coulson. I don’t think I could get into, much less sleep, in a bed like _that_ for someone I didn’t adore.”

“It’s not as bad as it must look.”

She chuckled. “If you say so, you just rest and keep the skin contact. You’re healing so much faster than I expected; they will be most pleased to hear this.” She smiled and left the room.

“They?” Phil stared blankly at the door trying to reconcile the tension in his stomach with the warmth in his chest. The room became brighter as the day was fully starting.

“Good morning,” Steve whispered. Phil shook himself of the odd feeling, then couldn’t help but smile at the sleepy morning face of his mate.

“With you here in my arms, it’s a very good morning indeed.”

=-=-=

Pepper’s duffel bag actually yielded a lot more than just clean clothes and a toothbrush for Steve. She had included teas, various sweet and salty snacks, another StarkPad loaded with different novels, and a book of _New York Times_ crossword puzzles. 

“People still do crosswords?” Steve’s face lit up.

“Oh yeah…” Phil replied while running his razor over his chin. He had no problem that morning with standing up straight nor walking into the bathroom on his own. However, when the door was closed, his chest still had a dull ache. The second he felt his privacy could be spared, he had opened it again. While Phil ran through his usual efficient morning routine at the sink, he watched Steve inventory the bag and get dressed. “Many people do them online but there are still some of us hold-outs that insist on the paper ver--.”

“Hello, knock-knock! Mr. Coulson, it’s Dr. Anderson. How are you feeling this morning?” The doctor, a nurse, and a couple of interns all holding clipboards shuffled in the room. Steve jumped to his feet with one sock still in his hand and stared the doctor down. Despite his shirt not being buttoned, or maybe because of it, Steve was even more intimidating than usual. Phil casually walked back to the bed; his face calm, but still betraying his annoyance at the intrusion.

"Dr. Anderson."

“Wow, you are up and about this morning and looking so much better.” Dr. Anderson quickly looked away from the men’s glares to his chart. “I see here your levels are just extraordinary; we’re going to take you off the IV as you no longer need the antibiotics and can keep food down.”

Dr. Anderson cleared his throat and then continued, “I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday. I think I was so excited about the possibilities that I skipped over some of the fundamentals.” The doctor looked up and flashed his plastic smile again; Steve shifted closer towards Phil.

“It’s fine, Doctor, but I’m still not submitting myself for any experimentation,” Phil replied.

“Right, of course; well then, this morning we’re going to take a look at your back and chest, change out the bandages, and evaluate where we can go from here.”

As they unpacked the gauze and sterile tools on a tray, Phil motioned for Steve to lean in. It slightly hurt his pride that his mark from the night before was already gone from Steve’s neck.  

“I don’t want you to leave the room,” he whispered, “but I would really prefer if you didn’t look when they remove the bandages, please. I don’t want you to see it.”

“Yeah,” Steve nodded. “I completely understand. I’ll just sit here, hold your hand, and look at your handsome mug instead.” Then Steve flashed a smile that made Phil forget about everything beyond just the two of them.

As the nurse and doctor worked, Phil would glance between Steve’s face and the growing pile of used gauze. As they removed the layers closer to Phil’s body, the mound of white cotton became increasingly darker shades of rust. When he felt the cool air hit the skin on his back, it was the nurse who gasped. A moment later when his chest had the same sensation, he saw the doctor’s jaw drop for a second then clench in frustration.

“Mr. Coulson, it’s vital that you be honest with us and keep your file updated. We can’t give you the proper treatment if we don’t have an accurate assessment. I wouldn’t have pushed so much earlier. Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Tell you _what_?” Phil knitted his brow and then looked down at his chest. He took in a sharp breath and held it. There were some spots on his skin where blood had dried, but for the most part, his chest looked pretty much as it had before the incident. A white raised line, no thicker than a spaghetti noodle, ran parallel to his sternum. This scar was the only physical proof of what had happened to his body not even five days previously.

“Phil?” Steve was still only looking at his face, and Phil could sense his confusion and anxiety. He turned his shoulders and nodded so Steve would be able to see what everyone else already had.

“Mr. Coulson, why didn’t you tell us you had superpowers?”


	12. The ASP

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is unbeta'd, I welcome people politely pointing out mistakes so I may correct them.

Although Phil insisted that he didn’t possess any super human abilities, the medical staff had to follow the Assessment of Superpowers Protocol since there wasn't another explanation for his unnatural healing ability. Phil assured a very worried Steve that they wouldn’t be taking blood or hurting him.

“It's ok, Steve; The ASP is quick and painless: filling out some forms and a cheek swab. Even if they do identify something extraordinary, they still can’t do any kind of experimentation without my consent.” The larger man finally relented, sat down, and started on a novel that Pepper had loaded on the StarkPad about a Russian doctor. Phil petted the back of his Omega's neck, trying to relieve some of the tension. He counted it a victory when Steve turned and gave him a soft half-smile.

Phil worked on the Super Human Evaluation and Diagnosis (SHED) forms between a repeat parade of the previous day's doctors and therapists coming through to evaluate him again. He had to have a sign off from each member of his medical team before he would be allowed to leave the hospital. His lung capacity and scans were great, blood-oxygen levels ideal, and his emotional state still rather good, all things considered.

After three hours of going over the forms, Phil started to reevaluate his description of The ASP as “painless.”  With his love of bureaucratic order, Phil had never given much pity to others in the past when they had to complete the thick booklet of ridiculous and rather personal questions. Phil had always coolly explained how SHED forms were important in not only assigning missions and teams, but also in accurate care if injuries occurred.

Phil realized he was never going to be so callous in the future as with a shudder, he finally answered the last question ( _Had either of your parents engaged in sexual activity with an extra-terrestrial being prior to your birth? If so, please describe with as much detail as possible._ )

He was absolutely done with the forms, SHIELD, the whole system, and especially that version of himself who had so casually given this torture to so many new superheroes. The forms had the smallest font of any Phil had seen, and even with his reading glasses, the questions had strained his eyes. With pleasure, Phil tossed the booklet to the foot of his bed and sighed. Steve looked up from his novel.

“Everything ok, dear?” Steve reached out to Phil’s arm just below his sleeve. The combination of the contact and smelling Steve’s worry cleared Phil’s slight headache that had been forming. It felt so great to feel Steve’s soft skin, and memories of last night’s activities made him want to touch more of Steve’s skin.

“This may seem sudden for you Steve—“ Phil smiled and placed his hand over Steve’s. “But this has been thirty-five-years-in-the-making whirlwind romance for me complete with various obstacles that should have made me think twice about loving you. Now that I am so close, that have my health, I feel like those forms and waiting to get the clear is the last dragon I have to destroy before I can get what I really want.”  

“Phil…”

“And I am so over the waiting, Steve. Answering all those questions about my past was driving me mad when all I can think of is my future with you, of us making a home together.” Steve's cheeks flushed.

“Phil…” he sighed.

“I meant everything I said last night. You deserve such wonderful things, and I’m going to be the one to give them to you.” Phil’s voice dropped and became more gravelly.

“I’m going to give you my mark every night and then again in the morning after it’s faded. You are mine and you are so good, and I have no idea what I ever did to deserve you.” Phil cupped Steve’s face with his hands and was delighted by the absence of pain in his chest or left arm.

“I just want to leave this hospital and take care of you.” Phil pulled him in closer and kissed him tenderly on the mouth. It felt even better than the previous night, and as Phil was thinking of what they could realistically get away with while waiting for the last exam, there was a firm knock at the door.  

They parted with a startle, Phil ecstatic that the overly-positive physical therapist was finally here. She’d make him do some exercises, praise his healing ability, sign off in no time, and they would be leaving within the half hour.

“Come in!” Phil practically sang. But when the door opened, instead of the young therapist, it was Thor in his shinning battle armor and cape.

“Thor?!” Steve and Phil asked in tandem.

“Captain! Agent! What a pleasure it is to see both of you here, together, and looking so well. I am most pleased that it worked!” Thor smiled, looking extremely pleased with himself.

“What do you mean--?” Phil started. Thor raised his hand to stop his question.

“First, allow me to introduce,” Thor moved to the side, revealing two women standing behind him. The taller one was in a full length cream dress with an intricate gold thread embroidered design over the bodice and wore a matching crown in her shinning hair. Slightly behind her, a smaller woman in a simpler but nonetheless still breathtaking emerald dress was immediately recognized by Phil as Erin, the nurse he had spoken with the past two mornings.

“Her Majesty, Frigga, Queen of the Aesir and Asynjur, Beloved and Advisor of Odin, Mightiest of all Goddesses.” As she entered the room, both Steve and Phil quickly rose to their feet. “And her companion, Eir, Princess of Lyfjaberg, the Greatest Healer of all the Nine Realms.”

Phil was trying hard to remember the trainings he had attended on proper etiquette for meeting royalty when Frigga extended her hand.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Agent Phillip J. Coulson of SHIELD. I have seen your bravery and expertise as a warrior, and have long desired to speak with you.”


	13. The Key

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is unbeta'd, I welcome people politely pointing out mistakes so I may correct them.

Phil was awestruck by Frigga’s voice; Thor, Loki, the other Asgardians he encountered in New Mexico had such commanding, forceful intonations, but her words were like warm honey—smooth, sweet, and comforting. He took her hand and gave a small bow.

“Mother,” Thor directed his hand at the blond, “this is Captain Steven Rogers, the one I spoke of who fought so valiantly at my side against the Chitauri and lead our team in a well-earned victory.” Frigga’s face lit up with recognition and Steve bowed.

“When Eir told me of your recovery, Agent Coulson, I knew I was right in choosing _Elske Kurere_ for you, and now I can see it was not just correct, but the most perfect spell,” she said.

“Your Majesty, thank you; I think. I’m sorry, but I’m not following,” Phil replied.

“On the Helicarrier and throughout Midgard,” Thor sighed, “my brother committed many atrocities, but watching him attack you and being unable to do anything myself, that broke my spirit in a way I’ve never experienced in battle before. So when I was again on solid ground, before returning to the others, I sent a message to Mother through Heimdall.”

“I, myself, cannot give to a warrior something he or she does not already possess, but we—“ she hooked her arm with Eir and slightly leaned into her, “could cast a spell to take the power already in you and redirect it to healing the damage Loki had done,” Frigga said.

“Time was of the essence, for even I cannot bring back the life principle once it has evaporated with your last breath,” Eir added.  

“But I didn’t have any power; I didn’t have the strength to stand, barely could keep my head up…”

“Agent Coulson, you had love. One who only wields a sword or holds a title does not have even a fraction of the power of one who has love.” Phil scrunched his face into a disbelieving smile. He turned to Steve and took his hand.

“So because Steve loved me, I didn’t die?” His heart was going to burst, he felt so happy and proud. However, the three Asgardians were now slightly shaking their heads. 

“No, that’s not what happened,” Frigga replied. “It is indeed wonderful, but strength does not come from your being loved. Instead, it comes from your loving another. In what were going to be your final moments, you thought of your beloved. I know you believed he didn’t love you then, and yet your love still persisted. It was your love for him that gave you comfort. Our spell just used it to also heal your injury.”

“Your love must be very pure and strong, Son of Coul. Only the All-Father has used the _Elske  Kurere_ spell better than you have.” Thor’s smile was practically beaming.

Phil looked down at his socks as he felt his cheeks burn. This delegation of aliens—gods?— was exposing him in a way he never had been before. He was so used to being private like his mother had advised when he was younger, and felt a little embarrassed that Steve now knew that his dying thoughts had been of him even though at the time they weren’t anything to each other.

“Thank you.” Steve’s voice was slightly desperate and shaky. “Thank you, Queen Frigga, Princess Eir, Thor. I can’t thank you enough for saving my mate and aiding in his recovery as you have. I am truly grateful.”

Phil’s uncomfortable feelings disappeared as he saw the Queen motioned Steve forward and embraced him in the comforting way only shared by Omegas.

“Captain, you are most welcome! You are a wise Omega and you have selected an excellent Alpha who is worthy, who will protect and provide for you and your children. You have a good heart. You should never doubt it.” She kissed his forehead and then held his right hand, guiding him back to Phil’s side.

“You are a noble Alpha and you have selected an excellent Omega who is worthy, who will cherish and comfort you and your children. You have a good eye. You should protect that with your life.” She kissed Phil’s forehead and placed his left hand over Steve’s. Frigga enclosed their connection with her hands.

“I bless this union and all the fruits of its labors, and I have an offering for you. Although Odin no longer claims Loki as one of his own, but even if not born of me, Loki shall forever be my son, so I do claim responsibility for his actions. As such, I have the wergild owed for his transgressions against you both.” She reached into a fold of her skirt and pulled out what looked like a silver skeleton key as long as her palm. The ornate bow of the key was a small spinning drive wheel with gold spokes.

“Place this at the entrance of your house and it shall be a talisman, keeping your home and those within it safe.” She extended the key to Phil who humbly took it.

“Thank you, Your Majesty; your family’s debt has been cleared.”

Eir reached over to Frigga, and softly said, “Someone is coming soon, Your Majesty.”

“Of course, we must take our leave. I am glad to have met such dear friends of my son. I know he is well supported during battle and peace when here on Midgard, and that brings me much comfort.” After they had said their farewells, the Asgardians left Phil and Steve alone together in the hospital room.

They sat next to each other on the bed, and for a few moments were in complete silence as they tried to process everything that had just happened. Then, done with waiting, Phil gripped the key in his hand, wrapped his arm around Steve’s waist, and kissed his mate, his beloved, his Steve.


	14. The Exit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is unbeta'd, I welcome people politely pointing out mistakes so I may correct them.

As Eir had predicted, Kelly arrived shortly after the Asgardians had left. She was just as perky and effervescent as before, talking constantly while making Phil walk up and down the hallway, mimic movements with his arm, and demonstrate getting up out of a chair.

“You’re doing so good, Mr. Coulson! It really is amazing how well you have healed in such a short time. I’m sure your _mate,_ Steve, is so pleased to be able to take you home today.” Phil figured she kept emphasizing Steve’s title as a way to make up for her mistake the previous day. Had he been overhearing it about another couple, it would have been annoying, but as she was talking about his Steve, it actually was rather pleasant.

“I’m very happy with his progress,” Steve smiled.

“Now, is your home a walk up or does your building have an elevator?” Kelly looked over the papers on her clipboard.

“I don’t have st…” Phil’s words were caught in his throat; he and Steve hadn’t talked about where they were going to live. He knew Steve was at the SHIELD dormitories here in the city; Phil’s bungalow was on the other side of the country in Burbank.  California never quite felt like home to him, and it seemed like ages since he actually slept there. Since the doctors started talking about releasing him, Phil had been so excited he hadn’t really thought about to where he was going to be released.

“Is he not allowed to take stairs?” Steve asked.   

“It’s ok; I would just like for him to have someone with him when he does for the first couple of days or so to make sure he keeps his balance.” She finished signing the discharge forms, clearing Phil to leave the hospital. Steve looked down at his wringing hands.

“If you want,” Steve’s voice was so soft Phil had to strain to hear. “We can go back to my quarters. They aren’t really big, just a few rooms, but I have my own kitchen. And maybe it will work until we can find something?”

“You are mated but you don’t live together?” Kelly darted her head between the two of them.

“It’s been a very recent development, _very_ recent.” Phil now looked down as he spoke.  “I feel like I owe you an apology. I wasn’t having the best of days yesterday, and I was not as professional as I should have been with you,” Phil started.

“Mr. Coulson,” this time her voice wasn’t as perky, “it’s really ok. I work at a hospital—a hospital for really strong powerful people who are suddenly weak and powerless. Everybody I work with is having a bad day; I’ve had far worse. It’s just another part of my job to handle compromised Alphas and not let them try too much too soon.

“But you appear healthy now, and I’m very happy for your recent mating.” Her voice picked back up and she smiled bigger than before. “Congratulations! You got all of your bad luck for the relationship done with at the beginning. It should be smooth sailing from here on out.”

-=-=-=-

As they got outside, Steve carrying both of their bags and Phil in the unnecessary but nonetheless insurance required wheelchair, they were greeted by a limo and a smiling Happy Hogan.   

“Ms. Potts sends her regrets; something has come up  that prevented her from being able to come to the hospital today. When she called, they told her about your leaving, so I’m here to drive you wherever you would like to go.” Happy flashed his sweet grin, and Phil remembered why he had always liked Stark’s bodyguard/driver.

Steve went with Happy to put their two bags in the trunk as Phil slid into the back of the car. His smile immediately fell from his face when he saw the other person already in the side seat. When Steve joined them, Phil moved to put himself physically between the two men. Nick Fury remained still, looking between Steve and Phil with a blank expression, until the car started to move.

“Good to see you up and at ‘em, solider,” Fury said.

“Why did you try to bug me?” Phil demanded without any preamble.

“I didn’t.”

“Steve found it on the plant Sitwell brought yesterday.”

“Then I would say _Sitwell_ bugged you. Maybe he was trying to figure out how you two seemed to have agreed to be mates when both of you are Alphas.”

Steve crossed his arms and looked at Phil for guidance in response to Fury’s thinly veiled question. Phil could sense his worry and thought he knew the cause.

“You’ve figured it out, Director?” Phil asked.

“There isn’t enough adoration or whiskey in the world for two Alphas to want to mate. One of you isn’t what he seems, and no offense, Captain, but I don’t think it’s the man I’ve known for almost twenty years.”

The three of them sat in silence as the car moved slowly through traffic across the bridge. 

“Why did you want to separate Steve and me?” Phil asked.

“I didn’t.”

“Hill was trying to take Steve back to HQ.”

“Then I would say _Hill_ was trying to separate you. Believe it or not Agent, I have bigger things on my plate than your love life, like rebuilding New York City and managing a general public that now knows we aren’t alone in the universe. Anything else you would like to blame me for?”

“I have something—“All of Steve’s muscles were tense, and he couldn’t hide the angry hurt in his voice. “You lied about Phil. You lead me to believe he had died. You threw his cards at me covered in blood. You—“  

“MY CAPTAIN AMERICA CARDS?!” Phil cut in, his blood throbbing in his ears.

“OK, ok, I am sorry for that. I felt it was the right thing to do at the time; I needed the team to come together. I didn’t know about this…” he motioned to the two of them. “I wouldn’t have done that if I had known. And now that I do know, I have a new assignment for you.” He handed a SHIELD digital packet to Phil.

“I’m off the Avengers detail?”

“No, but I am hoping intergalactic wars are few and far between. In the meantime, what do you know about secondary education administration?”

“Not that much really.”

“Well, you have three months to figure it out. I need you to go undercover at Midtown High-- keep an eye on some teen supers attending there, train them up to be assets to SHIELD.

“Getting into Xavier’s game, Sir?”

“Something like that. You’re both on mandatory vacation for a few weeks. Find an apartment, nest, move your stuff from California, or whatever the hell you want. When you’re settled, then we’ll all get together and discuss the Captain’s new assignment details in light of this situation.” Fury reached back and knocked on the divider to get Happy’s attention. The car pulled over to the side, and Fury exited the car. Before shutting the door he leaned back in.

“Captain Rogers, you really couldn’t do any better than Coulson.” Fury matter-of-factly said.

“I know there is no one better, sir,” Steve replied.

“Congratulations.” With rarely seen smile, Fury shut the door, and the car started to move again. Phil took Steve’s hand, amazed that everything had turned out so well, even better than the plan he had started while sitting on the shag carpet of his parents' den. Phil’s eyes grew big as the thought came to his mind.

“There’s something I want to show you before we go to your apartment, ok?” Phil rolled the divider down and started giving Happy directions.


	15. The Nest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is unbeta'd, I welcome people politely pointing out mistakes so I may correct them.

“Wait, you can let us out here.” Phil opened the door before the car came to a full stop. He took a breath, surveying the street. His childhood neighborhood felt both new and old at the same time. Some store fronts had changed; some were the same. The trees lining the street were taller, but the four-story-walls of brownstone still were the dominate features of this area. Just as he remembered, there seemed to be families everywhere. Parents walked with strollers or babies held close to Omegas’ chests. Children played in a park nestled between some houses. A young couple sat on their stoop talking, the Alpha’s arms wrapped around her petite wife.   

“Phil, what are we doing?” Steve asked bewildered as an older man with a herd of dogs on a tangle of leashes walked past them.

“We’ve been inside for almost a week, so I thought the walk and fresh air would do us both good. Are you hungry?”

Steve shrugged his shoulders and looked down, “I could eat.” Even with missing meals, Steve wouldn’t come out and say he was hungry, and Phil saw right through it.

“Good because I’m starving.” Phil realized he would need to keep an eye on his mate, keep him healthy, keep him safe.

They ducked into a small delicatessen that had been there forever, but within the past few years had upgraded to cater to the newer residents of the neighborhood. Everything looked so good to Phil that he couldn’t help but buy more than they really needed for dinner. In the back of his mind, he felt the need to show off a little and spoil his mate. When they finally left the shop, Steve insisted on carrying their duffle bags and the heavier canvas bag of food with one hand so he could still hold Phil’s with the other.

“We could go back to that park we walked past to eat; there were some benches,” Steve suggested. But Phil just playfully shook his head and continued to guide Steve down the street. They walked another few blocks; the sunlight starting to fade as dark clouds rolled in. Phil then stopped rather abruptly on the sidewalk, and Steve was so attuned to him that he immediately pivoted on the spot to check on him.

“What’s wrong? Are you ok?”

“Yes, nothing’s wrong. I’m fine; we’re here.” Phil gestured to the townhouse on the corner.

“We’re where?” Steve’s head tipped back as he surveyed the building from bottom to top.

“This,” Phil had to pull on Steve’s arm a little to get him to follow up the steps and through the door, “is the house I grew up in.”  

“You grew up here?” Steve’s eyes were wide as he looked around, taking in the high ceilings and intricate woodwork of the foyer. He looked into an empty room on the left but actually went into the dining room on the right that only had a table and a buffet in it. “I didn’t know you were wealthy,” Steve yelled back to Phil still standing near the door.

“I’m not,” Phil called as he finished typing in the security code to the alarm and then took the ornate key Frigga had gifted and balanced it on top of the door frame.

“It has more than one floor; it’s a mansion!” Steve’s voice was coming from the butler’s pantry between the dining room and the kitchen. Phil followed it to find his mate.

“It’s a house,” Phil corrected.

Steve turned to give him an incredulous look while motioning towards the silver serving pieces and better linen.

“You’re telling me you aren’t wealthy?”

“Well, these were my parents’ things and I—“ Phil trailed off as he had never really thought about it before. “I’ve always earned an Alpha salary, but never had anyone to spend it on. So I guess I do have a pretty good nest egg.” He hadn’t even batted an eye when buying out his sister’s share of the house instead of putting it on the market.    

“I mean I’m no Tony Stark.”

“That's not a bad thing,” Steve said softly with a slight laugh as he now followed Phil into the kitchen and adjoining family room. Phil made a face at the same old green shag carpet that had been there as long as he could remember. He had Steve put the bags down, and Phil started looking for the waters he had bought. Steve had made his way to the mostly empty room and was looking at the framed photos still hanging on the wall.

“She’s beautiful, a former girlfriend?”

“Oh God, no!” Phil started laughing and tried to cover his mouth. “That’s my younger sister and me. I swear once you hit 18 all sibling photos look like bonding ceremony announcements, but my mother loved them, so we kept taking them every year. Her name is Mallory, she’s a professional musician, and she was living here with our mother until recently.”

Steve looked over to Phil with a question in his eyes that immediately changed to understanding and sympathy. Phil didn’t have to say why Mallory wasn’t there anymore, why no one was in the house anymore, why most of the furniture was gone. Steve walked back to Phil in just a few long strides and took Phil in his arms.

It was an amazing thing to be comforted by an Omega, and Phil remembered the last time he had been was months ago by his ill mother after Fury ordered him away from Steve. But this was different because Steve was _his_ Omega, and while the blond’s embrace took away the ache of the loss like his mother’s comforting had, it also felt like it was replacing the emptiness. After a few minutes of Steve holding him and nuzzling his neck, Phil felt better than he had not just since the incident on the Helicarrier but in almost a whole year.

“Come on, let me show you the upstairs,” Phil whispered. Steve made sure to put a supportive hand on the small of Phil’s back as he took the steps as he always had-- two at a time.

The upstairs didn't feel quite right to Phil with most of the things cleared out. It was really not his parents’ house anymore without Mallory’s or their things in it. Steve was quiet during the quick tour, nodding his head and humming in agreement when shown how the second floor was entirely the master suite and the third floor had two smaller bedrooms with a shared bath.   

But when they finally get up to the fourth floor, Steve let out a breathy “oh,” and Phil could sense how impressed he is. The entire space was open but had a huge built-in bookcase along the long wall and large windows overlooking the back. It had been their playroom, where Mallory played her cello for hours while Phil practiced karate.

“I thought this would be a good room for you to use as a studio, it gets the best light. That is--” Phil paused as Steve walked over to the window and looked down at the soft rain falling on the small garden below.

“I know this house is no Stark Tower,” Phil continued, “and needs some work, I’ve always hated that awful wallpaper in the master.” He moved closer behind Steve, wrapping his arms around his waist and kissing him between his shoulder blades. Steve was now slightly shaking.

“Would you like living here with me?” Phil tried not to feel nervous, but the thought that Steve could still reject the house and go to live in Manhattan hung over him.

“ _Like_? This house is better and more beautiful than anything I ever imagined. I love it Phil; it’s just amazing. Yes, I would like living here very much with you.” Steve turned his head to face his mate. “But first thing, we have to get the air conditioner fixed; I can’t stand how warm it is.” Steve pulled at his shirt collar, and his chest was noticeably heaving.

“What do you mean? It’s not that warm.” Then the sweet smell filled the Alpha’s nostrils, and he felt the perspiration on his mate’s back soaking through his shirt. He turned Steve completely around and saw the flush across his Omega’s cheeks and the top of his exposed chest.

“Phil?” Steve whined with worry in his voice. The Alpha reached out to touch his face, and the blond fell gracefully to his knees.

“It’s ok,” Phil swallowed, “you’re going into a heat.” He started thinking the best place to try to get Steve before he became too far gone and weak.

“I don’t have heats, Phil.”

“You may not have before, Baby, but you are starting one now.” Phil tried to stay calm; it was just at the beginning, but he could already sense the sheer panic coursing through Steve.

“We are in a safe place, in our nest,” Phil reassured and stroked over Steve’s hair and down his back. The blond pressed into the touch with a whimper.

“And I’m going to make you feel so good, but we need to get back to my room. It will be more comfortable there.”

Phil guided a clingy Steve down the stairs and onto the only bed in the house-- the one in his old bedroom. He started undressing his Omega, pulling his shirt over his head, too impatient to unbutton the row down the front. Steve whined Phil’s name repeatedly and was desperately trying to press himself against Phil, clawing at the fabric separating them. Phil started to really feel the effects of Steve’s scent.  

“Let me help you first, Steve.” Phil reprimanded, his tone firm but still fond. “You will feel better without clothes between us,” he whispered and held the blond down. Steve stopped struggling, but his breath was still rapid and short. Phil made short work of the rest of their clothing, and ran his hands over each new part of Steve as it was exposed: his chest, his back, his hips, his legs, his perfect round ass. Phil climbed on top of Steve between his thighs, and started kissing him again, giving him praise and encouragement.

“What a good boy you are for me, Steve, so obedient. Are you going to let me take care of you? Do you want me to take care of you?”

Steve groaned and nodded his head. His body was glistening from sweat, and Phil’s Alpha instinct was starting to cloud his senses. The hum of the ceiling fan and the rain outside faded away; he could only hear Steve’s pleas and panting. The room was gone; he couldn’t feel the sheets under his knees. All he could smell and touch and see was Steve.

“Please Phil… I feel like I’m gonna die… if you don’t take me right now.” Steve could barely choke out. His legs were shaking as Phil pulled back and kissed from his crooked knee down to the crease of his hip. Phil’s fingers swiftly breached Steve, and both of the men moaned as the warm slick ran down into his palm.

“Good lord, you’re already so wet and ready for me.” Phil slid an additional finger in, testing to make sure Steve would be able to handle him while the Omega bucked against Phil’s hand, trying to get more. Phil sat back on his heels taking in the view and withdrew his hand. Their eyes met for a moment before Steve whined and moved to roll over and face the mattress. Phil caught him by the hip and held him firmly where he was.

“No, I want to see you,” Phil growled and Steve shivered at the demand.

“Yes, Alpha,” Steve meekly replied and brought his knees up wide to his chest. Phil tried to steady himself by grabbing the back of Steve’s thigh with his other hand, but it slipped right off from the sweat and the slick.

 _“That’ll be funnier later,”_ was the last fully rational thought Phil had as he wiped his hand and then aligned himself with Steve. Sliding into the tight heat, Phil bit his lip and pressed down on Steve, holding him still.

It was more intense than anything Phil had experienced in his life and it was almost as if someone else was now controlling his body. With each thrust, Steve’s soft moans filled the room and his body became more relaxed. It was too good, and the Alpha knew what his Omega needed. So when he felt his knot starting to swell, he didn’t try to slow down. Instead, he pounded harder until it became difficult to move. His mind was a fuzz of monosyllabic observations: warm, mine, tight, mark, good, mine, bite, _mine_.

Phil leaned in and bit at the same spot he had the night before, and again Steve cried out. Then it happened.    

When Philip J Coulson was barely 51 years old, he released his bite and watched as Steven Grant Rogers, Captain America, the super solider, obsession and love of Phil’s life came undone on his knot for the first time. He held Steve as the blond’s legs tightened around his thighs. Phil hardly blinked as his Omega’s mouth parted and a soft groan of “Phil” escaped. The rhythmic warm pressure around his cock took him, and he stopped trying to move at all, just basking in the delight of his own orgasm.

In school he had learned that the ancients had believed humans once had four legs and arms, two heads, and one soul. The gods were fearful of powerful the creatures were and split them into two, and that when you met your other half you were complete again. Phil had rolled his eyes then, but now it seemed like the most logical thing in the world.

He braced his arms on the sides of Steve’s face and kissed his satisfied mate. Phil felt like his knot and the stickiness of Steve’s release now on their stomachs were putting them back together. He was complete again, having the other part of his soul in his arms. He felt so strong he was sure he could take down all of Olympus. He wanted to somehow be closer to Steve, touch more of him, and press against him more. Every love song, every romantic movie, _everything_ suddenly made more sense.

“Phil?” Steve’s eyes fluttered as he was visibly calmer now that they were knotted together. He had his arms around Phil, holding on like the Alpha might possibly leave.

“Yes?” Phil answered.

“Did we just bond, or is it normally like that?”

“I think we did,” Phil nuzzled at Steve’s neck and softly bit at his mark some more. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So funny story: this work originally started out as a challenge to myself to write a quick little PWP. I failed that challenge spectacularly. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Thank you for the kudos and the comments!

**Author's Note:**

> I am indebted to:  
> 1\. Oxytrezart (tumblr) for her amazingly sweet Omegaverse comic (Stony); it was a huge inspiration for this story. 
> 
> 2\. Cap-coulson (tumblr) for stoking this ship in my heart with awesome posts.


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